Tape feeding and severing



Dec. 30, 1952 G. H. FRl'rzlNGER 2,623,588

TAPE FEEDING AND SEVERING Filed July 11. 1947 2' SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR housing. The top wall lf3 has a forwardly extending portion Ita which is narrower than the housing to provide clearance openings at the sides thereof as is hereinafter explained. Extending from this portion Ma to the top edge of the front wall i5 is a table Il which has turned-down lugs lla at its front portion that are pivoted on a cross pin I8 supported at its ends by the side walls of the housing. This Vtable is supported yieldably in a normal position wherein it is just flush with the top edges of the side walls of the housing. The table is suitably just slightly wider than the extension Illa of the top wall Ill. At the top edge of the right side wall I2 there is an inwardly extending flange I3 along the length of the table Il, and at the top edge of the left wall Il there is a similar flange 23 along however only the front half portion of the table. Thus, with the table Il, the housing is substantially closed at the top except for a short slot 2i at the right of the wall i3d and a relatively long slot 22 at the left of the wall i3d and along the back half of the table Il. In the front wall it there is a vertical slot 23. These three slots are clearance openings for the feed mechanism as will be apparent.

A supply roll 24 of pressure-sensitive tape is pivotally supported partially within the rearward portion of the housing by a core 25 having trunnions 26 at its ends. These trunnions pivot in open-ended slots 21 provided in the sidewalls H and I2 of the housing. The core is held latched in place by a U lever 28 which straddles the roll and core. This U lever is pivoted to the housing at 28a and is urged upwardly into its latching position by a tension spring 29 (Figure 1). The tape is drawn upwardly from the roll 2li around a roller 30 which is pivoted on a pin 3l in the housing, and is pulled forwardly across the pad l5 with the latter forming a backing member for the non-adhesive side of the tape. Overlying the rearward portion of the pad I5 is a flat member 32 having turned-down lugs 32a which are also pivoted, at the side walls Il and I2, on the pin 3l. This member 32 is urged downwardly by a torsion spring 33 on the pin 3| to hold the tape against the pad I5, the member having Contact with the tape only at its forward edge; also, this member covers the exposed adhesive side of the tape, as will appear, to protect it'from dust and dirt.

The feed mechanism comprises a feed member 34 of an inverted U shape which has a surface 35 on the underside of its cross portion for engaging releasably the adhesive side of the tape backed by the front portion of the pad l5. In this initial position of the feed member shown in Figure 1, the left leg 36 thereof extends downwardly through the clearance slot 22 and the right leg 3l thereof extends downwardly through the clearance slot 2 I. The left leg has a depending lobe-shaped cam 33a but the right leg is straight and short, being merely a part to carry a pivot for the feed member. These legs 33 and 37 are pivoted at 33 to the legs of an inverted U portion 39d of a rock lever 39. This U portion 33a straddles the feed member and has the cross member thereof spaced a substantial clearing distance above the feed member as shown in Figure 1. The left leg of this U portion 39a extends downwardly and forwardly and thence upwardly and forwardly through the slot 23 to the front of the housing to form the rock lever 39. This lever is pivoted at its lowermost portion on a pin it carried by the housing, the lever being positioned against the left Wall Il by a spacer lila on the pin. On the forward end of the rock lever there is a handle 4l which extends throughout substantially the full width of the housing. The lever 33 is urged clockwise (Fig. 1) by a tension spring l2 to hold the feed member normally in its initial position Also, this spring 112 is the means for moving the feed member and lever 39 through their return stroke.

The feed member has a range of pivotal movement, on the pivots 38, of approximately 45 degrees. The counterclockwise limit on the feed member is defined by the impingement of the cam 36a against a, stop lug 33h on the lever 39, and the clockwise limit is defined by the impingement of an ear 361) of the cam 36a against the end portion of a bar 43 slidably mounted on the lever 39. The mounting for the bar 43 comprises a slot 43a in the bar lengthwise thereof, which is engaged at one end by a lug 39e of the lever 39 and at a distance from the other end by a shouldered screw 44 that is threaded into the lever 39. The bar is urged against a cam surface 33e of the cam 36a, by a tension spring 45 connected between the shouldered screw 44 and a lug i3b of the bar 43. The cam surface 33o is V-shaped, and the apex thereof is at a greater distance from the pivots 33 than are the ends thereof, so that the pressure of the bar 43 there against will serve to bias the feed member overcenter within its range of pivotal movement on the pivots 38.

When the handle di is depressed the feed member is carried forwardly and upwardly from the pad I5 and at an increasing clearance distance from the table Il. In the initial portion of the forward, or feed, stroke the feed member is turned positively on its pivots 38, to bring the engaging surface 35 to a feed angle less than 13u degrees, before the feed member is carried from the pad l5 to exert any pull on the tape. 'lhis is accomplished by a catcn member 46 pivoted on the pin 3l and urged upwardly against the underside of the wail I4 by the torsional spring 33, this spring having one end hooked on tile catch member and the other on tne tape hold-down member 32. 'l'he eaten member 4B has an upstanding hook @iba at its forward end which extends upwardly to the left of the wall iria ythrough a clearance hole ll in the feed member. lJuring the initial portion of the feed stroke the reed member is retained by the hook 43a so that, as the pivots 33 are moved forwardly, the reed member is turned 1n a clockwise direction `substantially about its trailing edge as a center. As the reed member is so turned it is disengaged from the hook 43a, but this disengagement does not occur until the feed member is turned over-center into its range wherein it is biased in a clockwise direction by the over-center biasing means above described. After reaching its most clockwise position the feed member is carried by the lever 33, with the surface 35 thereof at less than 'degrees from the extending tape, to pull a length of tape from the supply roll. During the last one-third portion of the feed stroke the cam 33a abuts against a spacer iii on a pin V39 in the housing and cams the feed member over-center in a counterclock- Wise direction to place the surface 35 at a feed angle greater than 180 degrees. The feed member is moved further forwardly after its suriace 35 reaches a feed angle greater than 180 degrees, into the final position shown by dash-dot lines inilligures1',itocause the tape' to be stripped from the surface'. 35: by its resisting feed force. When thentapeihas been freed from the feed member it falls onto the table Il under the influence of its own weight and the hold-down action of the' member 32`.

When the hand is removed from the handle 4| at the end ofthe feed stroke, the lever 39 is returned clockwise by the spring l2 to return the feedmember toits initial position. During the return of the feed member the same is held against the stop 39h by the over-center biasing means. In the nal portion of the back or return4 stroke, however, the back edge of the cam 36a engages .a pin 53 `on the housing and cams the vfeed member slightly clockwise so that the Surface 35 is,` moved flat against the pad l5. Also,v in the final portion of the return stroke thefeed member impinges against the hook 46a andcams the hook downwardly `until the latter registers with the hole 4l of the feed member, whereupon the. catchmember 46 is moved upwardly by the spring 33 to engage the hook 46a with :the feed member as shown in Figure l.

It may be noted that instead of camming the feed member into position to move flat against thepad I5 at the end of the return stroke as above described, the4 feed member may be returned to initial position while held against the stop 331:1. However, by camming the feed member into position,.the stop 3917 may be positioned as may be` desired to meet particular conditions at the end of the feed stroke.

In order that the tape will be stripped from the` feed member at the end of the feed stroke solely in response to the feed resistance of the tape provided by the adherence of one convolution of the supply roll against the back side of the next adjacent convolution, the feed surface 35 is shaped so that it engages the tape across only a portion of the width of the tape. This is accomplished preferably by grooving the surface 35as shown in Figure 3. It will be understood thatthe force required to strip the tape from the surface 35 is proportional to the width of the area of contact which the feed member has effectively with the adhesive side of the tape. For instance if the surface 35 effectively contacts the tape over only half the width of the latter, the tape can bestripped therefrom by half the force required were the surface 35 to engage the tape across its whole width. However, the force by which the tape is held to the feed member during the effective part of the feed stroke is not necessarily lessened because of the grooving of the feed surface since this force is dependent on the area of contact which the feed member has with the tape, and this area can be selected to have any desired value simply by making the surface sufficiently long in directions lengthwise of the tape.

Preferably, a length of tape of about one and one-quarter inches is drawn off during each feed stroke. If longer lengths are wanted, the user willv depress the handle 4I twoor more times in succession to get the desired length. When that length'is obtained, it is severed from the supply roll by a severing mechanism herein next described.

This severing mechanism comprises a blade 5I carried below the forward portion of the feed member`34'when the latter is in its initial position. This blade is secured as by welding to a turned-up end portion 52a of a lever 52 which underlies' the table l1. This lever has turnedup aperturedear's 53 pivoted on the pin 49 and 6 positioned. lengthwise 43 aforementioned and a spacer 54 (Figure 2)l. The lever 52 is urged clockwise, by a tension spring 55, against a stop pin 56 on the `left'wall of the housing. Extending forwardly from itsv pivot axis 49, the lever 52 has an arm 5221 which extends slightly upwardly against the underside of the table Il to'support the latter yieldably in its normal position.

The blade 5l has a pointed edge 5m as shown in Figure 4. In the feed member 34 above the against the adhesive side of the tape to pick it fupby adhesive contact he will press theta'ble Il downwardly and propel the blade upwardly 'through the slot 5l. In so pressing the table H downwardly the tape thereabove which is contacted by the finger is naturally held under a slight tension, which is advantageous in facilitating the severing operation. By controlling the severing mechanism in the way here described,` it is seen that the tape is severed when the `desired length is fed out without any conscious effort on the part of the user and without need for any additional or independent manipulation of the hand.

In Figure 5 there is shown a modified form of the dispenser above described wherein `both the feeding and cutting of the tape are controlled` bv a single member. This dispenser has largely the saine construction as has the foregoing, and many details thereof need therefore be not described. In this embodiment there is a table 50 at the top of the housing, which corresponds to the table Il' but which is integral with the housing. The slot 23 at the front is extended rearwardly to terminate at 63u, and there is a slot iib in the top of the housing and in the pad l5, in line with the slot 5l of the feed member. A lever 6i supports the blade 5i and is pivoted on the pin i9 as is the corresponding lever 52 of the foregoing embodiment, but the lever 5i has a depending arm 52. A rock lever 63 pivotally carries the feed member 34, and is pivoted on the pin lil the same as the rock lever 39, bult the lever 63 has only a short extension 64 ahead of its pivot axis on which there is a turned-over lug 640;. Pivoted on the pin 45 adjacent to the rock lever is a lever 55 which extends forwardly through the slot 23 and has on the end thereof the handle 5I. The rock lever is biased clockwise by the spring d2 into a limit position determined by the abutment of the feed member against the pad I5, and the lug 54a engages the underside of the lever 55 to support the handle 4i normally in a half-raised position as shown.

When the handle is depressed it actuates the feed mechanism, the same as in the foregoing embodiment. However, upon releasing the handle at the end of the feed stroke, it is returned quickly by the spring 42 and will be swung above normal position by inertia overthrow. A rst portion of this overthrow movement is idle, to allow a prior return of the feed member to its initial position before the handle enters a cutting range above this idle range, In the cutting range a finger 55a of the lever 55 strikes against the depending arm B2 of the lever El to move the blade 5i through the slot 6019 in the housing and pad l5, and through the slot 51 of thefeed of thepin by the spacer;

member. As the blade passes through these slots the tape, being firmly clamped between the feed member and pad I5, is positively severed.

If the user should retard the return movement of the handle so that it is not carried sufficiently above its normal position by inertia overthrow to sever the tape, he can sever the tape still simply by manually swinging the handle above its normal position.

In each of the two embodiments above-described the dispensed length of tape is held releasably in place after it is severed from the supply roll by the adherence thereof with the part of the feed member ahead of the slot which part may have a width of the order of one thirty-second inch or more. It is advantageous that the tape is so releasably held, particularly in the embodiment of Figure 5, for it assures that the dispensed length of tape will not get out of place until the user is ready to pick it up from the machine.

A feature of the present severing mechanism is that its operation is facilitated by the presence of the tacky adhesive side of the tape for the adhesive side aids in holding the tape where it is engaged by the blade to cause the tape to be severed positively as instead of being buckled into the slot of the feed member. Broadly, the principle of severing tape by the present invention is to hold a length of the tape by adhesive contact and/or by clamping so that a narrow transverse portion of the tape extending throughout the width thereof is unbacked on either side, and to move then a blade, preferably pointed, through the unbacked portion of the tape. Moreover, the invention contemplates holding the tape by one or more slotted members and moving the blade through these members so as to sever the tape. When the tape at the place of severing is held only by adhesive contact the blade is preferably positioned so as to pierce and sever the tape from the non-adhesive side as in the embodiment of Figure l. When the tape is held clamped at the place of severing, the blade may engage the tape from either side. However, the blade is preferably positioned beyond the backing member which cooperates with the feed member, as in the embodiment of Figure 5, so that the blade need not be additionally controlled to clear the feed member as the latter is moved through its feed and return strokes.

While not limited thereto, the severing mechanism herein disclosed is particularly effective with the clear tapes such as those made of cellulose, cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate, etc. These tapes are Very weak in shear and are, as a consequence, readily punctured and severed by a pointed blade; moreover, little force is required to actuate the blade.

The principle of grooving the engaging surface of the feed member, to permit the tap to be released therefrom by a small pull on the tape, is applicable not merely to feed members but as well to any member which is to engage the adhesive side of the tape, as for merely holding the tape or braking a movement thereof, and from which it is desired to release the tape by a small pull on the tape.

The embodiments of my invention herein described are illustrative not only of improved dispensers of pressure-sensitive tape for use in retail stores and the like, but also of improved feeding and severing mechanisms for such tape, which have applications in many different types of tape machines. These embodiments are moreover subject to many changes and modifications without departure from the scope of my invention, Which I endeavour to express according to the following claims. Y

I claim:

l. In a device for feeding a length of pressuresensitive tape from a tape Supply the -COmb' nation of Va member backing the non-adhesive side of a leading portion of said tape; a feed member having a surface for holding to the tape by adhesive contact of the tape therewith, said feed member having an initial position wherein said surface engages the adhesive side of said tape portion; a support pivotally carrying said feed member and mounted for moving said feed member obliquely away from said backing member to pull a length of tape from said supply; means for advancing said support through a forward stroke of movement; and means separate from the tape adhering to said feed member and operatively coupled to said feed member during the initial portion of the forward stroke of said support for positively turning the feed member relative to said support to a feed angle wherein said surface is less than degrees from the adhesive side of the tape leading there-r from before the feed member exerts any substantial pulling force on the tape.

2. In a device for feeding a length of pressuresensitive tape from a supply roll: the combination of a member backing the non-adhesive side of a leadingrportion of said tape; a feed member having a surface for holding to the tape by adhesive contact, said feed member having an initial position wherein said surface engages the adhesive side of said portion; a support to which said feed member is pivoted, said support being mounted for pivotal movement about a xed axis to carry said feed member obliquely away from said backing member and to return the feed member to initial position; means connected to said support for advancing and returning the same; and means operatively independent of the tape adhering to said feed member and eifective on said feed member during the initial portion of the advance stroke of said support for causing the feed member to be turned to a feed angle wherein said surface is less than 180 degrees from the adhesive side of the tape extending therefrom before the feed member exerts any substantial pull on the tape.

3. In a device for feeding pressure-sensitive tape from a supply roll: the combination of a member backing the non-adhesive side of a leading portion of the tape drawn from said roll; a feed member having a surface for contacting the adhesive side of the tape backed by said backing member; a support to which said feed member is pivoted, said support being pivoted on a fixed axis to carry said feed member obliquely away from said backing member and to return the same; means for advancing and returning said feed member through forward and return strokes of movement; means limiting the pivotal movement of said feed member relative to said support to a definite range; spring means biasing said feed member over-center within said range; means separate from the tape engaging said feed member and effective during the initial portion of the advance stroke of said support to cause the feed member to be turned positively over-center relative to said support to place said surface atY less than 180 degrees from the adhesive side of said extending tape before the feed. member exerts any substantial pull on the tape; andmeans engaging said feed member as the Ysame is carried by said support through the nal portion of `its forward stroke away from said backing member for turning the feed mem- `ber` over-center relative to said support to place said surface at a feed angle greater than 180 degrees from 'the adhesive side of the tape eX- tending therefrom, the limit position to which saidfeed member is turned relative to said support at the `end of said advance stroke being "such that as said `support is returned about said fixed axis said surface is moved substantially fiat `against said backing member.

4. In a device for feeding lengths of pressuresensitive cellophane-type tape from a freely pivoted supply roll: the combination of a reciprocable feed member for pulling tape from said roll, said 'feed member having a gripping surface for holding to the` tape by adhesive contact; and operable means effective only in response to the natural adherence of the tape to said freely pivoted roll for stripping the `:tape from said feed member at the end of a feed stroke thereof, oomprising means for holding said feed member with said surface at more than 180 degrees from the adhesive side of the tape leading therefrom and for concurrently effecting a relative movement between the feed member and said roll to cause the feed member to effective tensioning of the tape, length between the feed member and said roll solely from the feed resistance caused by the natural adherence of the tape to the supply roll, the total dimension of the gripping surface of said feed member in the distance across the tape being substantially less than the width of the tape whereby the adherence of the tape to the supply roll will be greater than that to the feed member and will serve to strip the tape from said feed member in response to said relative movement.

5. In a device for dispensing lengths of pressure-sensitive tape from a supply roll: the combination of means backing the non-adhesive side of a tape portion leading from said roll; a feed member having an initial position wherein it engages the adhesive side of said tape portion backed by said backing means; means for pressing said feed member against said backing member to clamp said tape portion; means mounting said feed member for advance movement to pull a length of tape from said roll and then to release the feed member froml the tape and for return movement to restore the feed member in adhesive engagement with tape backed by said backing means; movable support means for the fed-out length of tape ahead of said backing means; said feed member and backing means having slots transverse to the tape which are aligned with each other when the feed member and backing means cooperate to clamp the tape; a blade mounted in relation to said backing means for movement through said slots; and means coupling said blade to said support for causing the blade to be moved through said slots to cut the tape while the tape is clamped as said support is depressed.

6. In a device for dispensing lengths of pressure-sensitive tape from a supply roll: the combination of a tape-feeding means including a member backing the non-adhesive side of a portion of the tape drawn from said roll and a reciprocable feed member having an initial position wherein it cooperates with said backing member to clamp said tape portion and to take hold of the same by adhesive contact; means Amounting said feed member for advance movement from said initial position to draw a length of tape from said roll, including means to release the tape therefrom at the end of the advance stroke, said backing and feed members having slots transverse to the tape and aligned with each other when the feed member is in initial position for holding a short length of the tape therebetween without backing at either side and `without slack; means for advancing and returning said feedmember from and to said initial position; and a blade mounted for movement through said slots to sever the tape while the tape is clamped by said feed and backing members.

7. The combination set forth in claim 6 wherein said feeding means is adapted to feed `the tape with the adhesive side thereof facing upwardly, including a depressible table ahead of `the initial positionof said feed member for supporting a fed-out length of the tape, and means coupling said table to said blade to cause the blade to be actuated as the table is depressed whereby a fed-out length is severed from the tape supply as pressure is exerted against the adhesive side of said length incidental to picking up the same from said table by adhesive contact.

8. In a mechanism for dispensing pressuresensitive tape from a supply roll: the combination of a member for backing the non-adhesive side of a portion of the tape drawn from said roll; a movably mounted feed member having an initial position wherein it engages the adhesive side of said tape portion and holds thereto by adhesive contact; means for moving said feed member from said initial position and for returning the same thereto; means for pressing said feed member against said backing member, to clamp said tape portion therebetween when the feed member is in said initial position, said feed and backing members having slots transverse to the tape which are aligned when the feed member cooperates with said backing member to clamp the tape; and a blade mounted for movement into said slots to out the tape while the tape is clamped.

9. In a device for feeding lengths of pressuresensitive tape from a freely-pivoted supply roll: the combination of a feed member having a surface for contacting the adhesive side of the tape extending from said roll and for holding thereto by adhesion of the tape; means mounting said feed member for advance movement to pull a length of tape from said roll and for pivotal movement to change the feed angle of the feed member with respect to the tape; and means for stripping the tape from said feed member at the end of a feed stroke without holding to the adhesive side of the tape length between said feed member and supply roll, comprising means for pivoting said feed member to afeed angle greater than to the tape, and means for increasing the length of path of the tape between said feed member and supply roll, while the feed member is at said feed angle, to cause a tensioning of the tape solely from the feed resistance resulting from the natural adherence of the tape to the supply roll, said contacting surface of said feed member having a total dimension across the tape which is substantially less than the width of the tape to cause the tape to be stripped positively from the said member in response to said tensioning. i

10. In a device for dispensing pressure-sensiil tive tape from a 'supply roll: the combination of a member for backing the non-adhesive side of a portion of the tape drawn from said roll; a feed member having an initial position wherein the same cooperates with said backing member to clamp said tape portion and to take hold of the tape -by adhesive contact; means mounting said feed member for advance movement from said initial position to pull a length of tape fom said roll; transverse slots in said feed and backing members aligned with each other when the feed member is in Said initial position to clamp the tape; a blade mounted for movement into said slots to sever a fed-out length of tape from the tape supply; an operable handle; means operable by said handle as the same is moved in one di- Y rection from normal position for advancing said feed member from initial position; means for returning said feed member to said initial position as said handle is returned to normal position; and means operable by said handle as the same is moved in another direction from normal position for actuating said blade to cut the tape while the tape is clamped between said feed and backing members.

11. In a device for feeding a length of pressure-sensitive tape from a tape supply: the combination of a member backing the non-adhesive side of a leading portion of said tape; a feed member having a surface for holding to the tape by adhesive contact of the tape therewith, said feed member having an initial position wherein said surface engages the adhesive side of said tape portion; a support pivotally carrying said feed member and mounted for moving said feed member obliquely away from said backing member to pull a length of tape from said supply; and means separate from the tape adhering to said feed member and operatively coupled to said support and feed member for advancing said support through a forward stroke of movement and for positively turning the feed member relative to said support to a feed angle wherein said surface is less than 180 degrees from the adhesive side of the tape leading therefrom before the feed member exerts any substantial pulling force on the tane.

GEORGE H. FRITZINGER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 495,892 Keep 1 Apr. 18, 1893 '1,958,443 Phillips May 15, 1934 1,972,851 McCarthy Sept. 4, 1934 2,401,298 Fritzinger June 4, 1946 2,424,488 Morin l July 22, 1947 2,247,750 Dohnal July 1, 1950 

